Tristan Lavalette
@trislavalette.bsky.social
540 followers 130 following 96 posts
Forbes cricket journalist| ESPNcricinfo in summer| AP/AFP| Author: Basketball 2.0 | Covered: Olympics/Grand Slam Tennis/Cricket & Basketball World Cups
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
A few notes on India's opening training session of their Australian tour.

It was dominated by the returns of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who had contrasting fortunes in their 40-minute net sessions

www.espncricinfo.com/story/aus-vs...
Kohli finds rhythm, Rohit shakes off the rust in India's first training session
Fans in attendance were greeted by a notably jovial Kohli and Rohit, both happy to sign autographs and take selfies
www.espncricinfo.com
Virat Kohli is back in the nets, looking quite sharp in Perth ahead of the ODI against Australia.

Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul also part of the training session

About 20 fans watching on
Good to see Jhye Richardson having a bowl in the nets during Australia’s training session ahead of the India ODI.

He’s slowly making his way back from shoulder surgery, hopefully a return to the field isn’t far away
Faisal Hasnain, a former ICC CFO & ex-Pakistan chief, and Indra Nooyi, the legendary ex PepsiCo boss, could be sounded out to head an interim USA Cricket board.

The USA Cricket saga is set to dominate next month's ICC meetings

www.forbes.com/sites/trista...
High-Profile Figures Might Be Tasked With Stabilizing American Cricket
Faisal Hasnain, a former long-time cricket administrator, and Indra Nooyi, the legendary ex PepsiCo boss, could be sounded out to head an interim USA Cricket board.
www.forbes.com
T20 franchises in Paris, Berlin, Barcelona and Rome? This could be a reality as per the longer-term plans for the European T20 Premier League.

The long-proposed league, backed by Netherlands, Ireland & Scotland, is finally set to launch in August 2026

www.forbes.com/sites/trista...
A T20 League Set For 2026 Is Hoped To Fuel Cricket’s Rise In Europe
Iconic cities such as Paris, Berlin and Barcelona could emerge on the cricket landscape as the European T20 Premier League takes shape.
www.forbes.com
ACE is taking USA Cricket, its strategic partner to operate Major League Cricket, to court.

The future of MLC is under threat and ramifications could extend to cricket's Olympic return.

Embattled USA Cricket is "welcoming" the legal proceedings.

www.forbes.com/sites/trista...
ACE Launches Legal Proceedings Against USA Cricket As Dispute Intensifies
American Cricket Enterprises has filed legal proceedings against USA Cricket, its strategic partner to operate the well-heeled Major League Cricket T20 competition.
www.forbes.com
A T20I between Australia-India at the Oakland Coliseum? International cricket could be played at the iconic 60,000-seat ground, which is set to host more MLC games in 2026.

Australia and WI believed to be keen on playing at the Coliseum down the track

www.forbes.com/sites/trista...
Major League Cricket Set To Continue At Iconic Oakland Coliseum Amid India-Australia Dreams
Major League Cricket is set to again host games at the iconic Oakland Coliseum, fuelling hopes of big matches between powerhouse countries at the venue.
www.forbes.com
Seattle Orcas are another MLC franchise to signal interest in potentially investing in the BBL.

Their high-profile ownership consortium includes the Delhi Capitals.

In the meantime, they are looking at a potential strategic partnership with a BBL team

www.forbes.com/sites/trista...
Major League Cricket Owners Eying Potential Big Bash League Privatization
The potential privatization of Australia’s Big Bash League continues to be closely monitored by owners of America's Major League Cricket.
www.forbes.com
The latest USA Cricket saga could have implications on the Olympic cricket stadium to be built in LA.

Knight Riders are set to fund the permanent facility & hope to play MLC games there next yr

But the deal has yet to be signed off as the saga heightens

www.forbes.com/sites/trista...
Olympic Stadium In Spotlight Amid American Cricket Chaos As 2028 Los Angeles Looms
The latest saga engulfing American cricket could have major implications on cricket’s Olympic return at the 2028 Los Angeles Games as the scrutiny heightens.
www.forbes.com
Washington Freedom are poised to build a cricket ground in Frederick, 45 miles north of DC.

If it gets local govt approval then Freedom hope to play there next MLC season

International cricket could be played there with WI keen on more games in the US

www.forbes.com/sites/trista...
Washington Freedom Hope To Have Home Cricket Ground By 2026
Washington Freedom are poised to have a home ground in Frederick, possibly by the 2026 Major League Cricket season in a boost for the sport in Maryland.
www.forbes.com
After a gripping India-England series, a working group will look into Test cricket's future.

*Two divisions seems inevitable, but promotion-relegation?
*A revived Test Match Fund to support smaller nations has stalled
*An increase of 4-day Tests likely

www.forbes.com/sites/trista...
Gripping India-England Series Underlines Urgency To Keep Test Cricket Alive
The India and England five-match series captivated fans worldwide amid plans to address issues plaguing the traditional five-day Test cricket format.
www.forbes.com
Some Associate news floating around

*Push for regional Olympic qualifiers for Brisbane 2032
*Calls for review into scorecard funding model in wake of transparency concerns
*No new Full Members ahead but US seen as a chance if they finally sort things out

www.forbes.com/sites/trista...
Cricket’s Associates Focus On Olympic Qualifying, Governance And Funding Model
There are numerous issues that smaller cricket nations are focused on including the Olympic qualifying format, governance and funding.
www.forbes.com
Despite a loss on-and-off field, West Indies remain keen on hosting Australia in Tests.

CWI believe cricket's Olympic status can ignite the sport in the Caribbean, while developing the Americas region is key.

Creating an Americas Cup is among the goals

www.forbes.com/sites/trista...
Cricket’s Olympic Sheen Might Spark Once Mighty West Indies
The West Indies have long been in decline since being a cricket powerhouse, but hopes are high that the Caribbean can be rejuvenated amid the sport's Olympic sheen.
www.forbes.com
A few tidbits from the ICC's recent meetings:

*Could be a look into capping the number of T20 leagues players can compete in
*32-team T20 World Cup a goal
*Push for more 4-day Tests
*No new Full Members on the horizon
*T10 won't be an official format

www.forbes.com/sites/trista...
Plans Mooted To Fix Test And T20 Cricket, While T10 Goes Cold
A number of big ticket issues were discussed at the International Cricket Council's annual conference, with a working group to look into the sport's trio of formats.
www.forbes.com
A regional event is expected next year to determine West Indies' representative at a global Olympic qualifier

8 teams set to battle in the qualifier for the final men’s Olympic spot

Top ranked team per region + USA automatically qualify to LA (men's)

www.forbes.com/sites/trista...
West Indies Regional Competition Likely In 2026 Ahead Of Olympic Cricket Qualifier
A regional competition in the Caribbean will determine West Indies' representative at an eight-team global qualifier for the final men’s cricket spot at Los Angeles 2028.
www.forbes.com
Issues discussed by the ICC board ahead of their final meeting tomorrow

*Olympic qualifying (men's) likely to be based on regional rankings + one qualifier

*32-team T20 World Cups mooted

*USA Cricket to be given more time to fix governance issues

www.forbes.com/sites/trista...
ICC’s AGM: Olympic Qualifying, 32-Team T20 World Cup And USA Cricket Lifeline
Big ticket issues have been discussed at the International Cricket Council's all-powerful board meeting in Singapore during the governing body's AGM.
www.forbes.com
There are changes on the influential Chief Executives' Committee after Gurumurthy Palani (France), Anuraag Bhatnagar (Hong Kong) and Gurdeep Klair (Canada) were elected.

Incumbent Sumod Damodar and Vanuatu chief Tim Cutler among those to miss out

www.forbes.com/sites/trista...
Changes On Cricket’s Chief Executives’ Committee After Election Kick-Starts ICC Annual Conference
Gurumurthy Palani, Anuraag Bhatnagar and Gurdeep Klair were elected on the influential Chief Executives’ Committee to kick-start the International Cricket Council’s AGM.
www.forbes.com
The ICC's Annual Conference starts tomorrow in Singapore. Some issues to be discussed:

*Expanded T20 World Cup
*Test's future
*Olympic qualifying format
*2024 T20 WC Inquiry update
*USA Cricket faces suspension
*Two countries to receive ICC membership

www.forbes.com/sites/trista...
ICC’s AGM: Test’s Future, Expanded T20 World Cup And USA Cricket Scrutiny
There are a number of big issues set to be discussed at the International Cricket Council's Annual General Meeting running from July 17-20 in Singapore.
www.forbes.com
Momentum is building for T20 qualification tournaments - not rankings - to determine which countries make the cut for the Los Angeles Olympics.

Top Associates could feature in the qualifiers. The issue will be debated at the ICC meetings in Singapore

www.forbes.com/sites/trista...
Push For Olympic Qualifiers Gathering Steam Ahead Of Singapore Cricket Meetings
Momentum is building for T20 qualification tournaments - not rankings - to determine which cricket countries make the cut for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
www.forbes.com
Washington Freedom have identified a site near the DC area to build a cricket ground.

They are hoping Washington can become a hub for international cricket in the US and attract major white-ball series

www.forbes.com/sites/trista...
A Home Ground For Washington Freedom Could Ignite Cricket In Maryland
A cricket stadium could unlock cricket in Maryland and boost the profile of Major League Cricket champions Washington Freedom.
www.forbes.com
8 candidates will contest the CEC election with 3 coveted Associate spots up for grabs

Important for smaller cricket nations fighting for more funds as India strengthens its power grip with incoming CEO Sanjog Gupta on the heels of Jay Shah’s ascension

www.forbes.com/sites/trista...
Candidates Revealed For Cricket’s All-Important Chief Executives’ Committee Election
Eight candidates will contest the upcoming Chief Executives’ Committee election, with three coveted Associate Member spots up for grabs.
www.forbes.com
If it goes ahead, the Asia Cup in September will be played in the UAE.

Officials remain hopeful that India won't pull out. The Asia Cup essentially bankrolls the Asian Cricket Council, providing invaluable funds for smaller nations in the region

www.forbes.com/sites/trista...
UAE To Host Cricket’s Asia Cup, But India-Pakistan Tensions Jeopardize Lucrative Event
The lucrative Asia Cup is set to be played in the United Arab Emirates with officials remaining hopeful a cancellation can be avoided amid India and Pakistan tension.
www.forbes.com
Nothing specific but certainly in the minds of administrators for Japan to host major events if infrastructure can be developed